Hit Me Like A Man
by Lady Havok
Summary: *This is my very first fanfiction so I am a little hesitant to publish but one will never get better without criticism.* Sakura Haruno has always been considered the weakest link of Team 7. After years of hard training and the shedding of her childish tendencies; a new Sakura is born.


Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Naruto characters featured here or anywhere in this story.

The Sun's rays gently filtered down through the treetops to kiss the forest floor, illuminating the area with a warm green glow. Quick flashes of black and white danced among the thick branches of the ancient trees causing old leaves to flutter down to an end as the forest floor rose up to meet it, joining its fallen brethren strewn about at the base of the trees, dying.

The stark whistle of kunai and shuriken lamented their deadly melody above the deafening silence of the surrounding forest. Each clash between black and white rang out into their silent atmosphere in evil, laughing waves; out into the dancing swirls of the playful wind. Small flickers of crimson blood splashed onto the leaves of the nearby foliage, rolling down the waxy substance on the leaf's surface to collide with the soft soil of the ground.

Black and White finally came to a dizzying standstill, staring with hidden eyes of malice at one another from opposite branches high in the surrounding trees. Black brandishes its long katana; its long, thin blade dripping with the small rivulets of blood, greedily taken from the body White. White stood up, defiantly opposing Black; body ridged and tense with the anticipation of springing into a deadly flight once more. Small cuts could be seen on various parts of White's body but these were decidedly ignored. Breath muffled by the intricate masks of the pair, neither of the two showed signs of backing down. White carefully twirled a sharp kunai around a delicately gloved finger, waiting to launch it at the Black figure standing just beyond. The frenzied take off of a frightened bird initiated the start of the next round between the two shinobi and another refrain of the deadly song the two composed together in their dance to eliminate one another. A quick jab toward Black sent the figure to the left into an incoming kick of White. Bones crunched and shattered as the chakra enhanced impact of White's boot sank into the arm of Black, whom was unprepared for the strength behind the attack. In angry retaliation, with a feral growl escaping from behind the calm mask, Black swiftly brought its katana up within a deadly twirl within its hand to bite the edge of White's mask; the katana's tip left a long scratch across its face as Black pulled away from the white cloaked figure. The small errant piece of light pink hair, cloaked with slick sweat, slipped from beneath the injured mask and hood went unnoticed as the fight continued.

White let fly the kunai that was gripped tightly its hand as Black whipped through the trees, leading White deeper into the autumn veiled forest. Slick sweat poured down beneath White's mask as White gave chase behind Black with a flare of the red stained cloak. White slowly gained speed, leaving small indents into the flesh of the branches. Black used an angled branch to launch in a different direction suddenly, only to come face to face with a sizzling exploding tag plastered onto the bark of a tree in the shadow cloaked shinobi's direct path. Black breathed out a curse while landing beside the tag to backflip towards the leaf strewn forest floor. White rushed Black who threw up his arms to block the chakra strengthened foot of his opponent.

A continuous slew of dodges and parries were exchanged on both sides but the toll of White's earlier blow was finally taking its toll on Black. Taking advantage of Black's injuries, White swiftly landed a bone shattering kick to one of Black's legs and pinned Black to the forest floor with a quick slice of White's kunai across Black's arms on the way down, rendering them useless and immobile as the deep gashes spilled forth fountains of Black's life's blood; its katana laying off, dejected, to the side.

Black starred deeply into the scratch across White's mask. The mask seemed to be smiling down into Black's own; red designs flared around the edges while catlike ears poked out beyond the snowy hood, and a long faded image of the Konoha leaf peeking from beneath the bleached shadows cast by the figure's large hood.


End file.
